


Thanks for the Memories

by biseelie



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Assassination, Gen, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7846117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biseelie/pseuds/biseelie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three times the Winter Soldier came close to remembering and one time he - well, no. That’s it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thanks for the Memories

**Author's Note:**

> For "Memory Related" on my August Bingo card.

It isn't his tenth hit. He's way past that. He doesn’t have a precise number, but as the Winter Soldier climbs up the stairs to his nest, he can recall being on at least three dozen prior missions. Even though he won’t see his handlers, he has a lot of extra support for this hit. A weapon will be waiting for him in the nest. His orders are to leave it there afterwards.

His target is some high-profile American politician. American. The Winter Soldier believes that before H.Y.D.R.A., he was an American. “I enjoy drinking tea,” he says in English, listening to the sound of the words. Definitely American.

 _Have I been in this city before?_ he wonders as he enters the room designated during the briefing. He racks his limited memories as he fills a clip with bullets and inserts it into the magazine of the rifle. The street below him and the park beyond it are filled with people. He’s wearing civvies, so it’ll be easy to slip away if he keeps his sleeves down and his gloves on. There’s a glove on the windowsill. He puts it on his hand (the one made of flesh and blood) and grasps the stock with it.

There’s a cheer from the crowd below him as his target approaches. He finds his target, lines him up in the crosshairs and — a man is standing in front of him wearing a padded blue suit. A soldier? The soldier’s extending a gloved hand towards him, holding a pistol, grip out. The mans’ mouth is moving, saying something inaudible — he’s missed his first shot. The Winter Soldier readjusts his aim and fires twice. Then, he sets the gun down and hurries down the stairs to exit the building. He needs to join the crowd.

  


The next time it happens, he’s over ten thousand kilometres away. Now, he's up three missions and five kills. This time, the Winter Soldier's is after a lawyer. The man is short, grey haired, and bushy eyebrowed. He looks harmless enough. Then again, he _is_ about to be assassinated. Not that harmless. Perhaps a former H.Y.D.R.A. affiliate.

The Winter Soldier raises his rifle and catches the man in his scope. It’s a quick, close-range kill. One bullet enters through the left temple and exits through the ruined right skull. The target staggers before falling face first into the street. The Winter Soldier packs up his rifle and heads towards his vehicle. It's only three hours to the nearest H.Y.D.R.A. base. He's making his own way back.

He ditches the bike where the road ends and the forest begins. He secures his rifle to his back before running through the forest to the base. It’s a familiar feeling, somehow. After an hour, he can see the clearing where the bunker is when — **pink lips smiling, showing him a comic with a dark haired boy in a blue shirt, red tights, and a bandit mask. He can’t hear anything but he knows he’s saying, “They do know I’m older than you, right?”** — there’s more — **he’s running towards a circle of boys, he’s a child himself** —

“Доброе утро, солдат.”

“Я готов отвечать”, the Winter Soldier says. Time for his next mission.

  


Aiming in cars isn’t a new experience for him, even if they are moving. It’s just that before this, he was always aiming at passengers. It’s almost easier, he reflects as he accelerates, pulling even with the car so he can shoot out one of the tires. The Winter Soldier watches as the car veers off and crashes just off the road. He gets off the motorcycle and pops the trunk. There’s a briefcase with five bags of serum, as expected.

The driver staggers out of his seat and onto the road. The Winter Soldier walks towards him.

“Help… help my wife… Please… help her.” The man looks up at him. “Sergeant Barnes?”

 _The other passenger?_ “Howard!” a female voice cries. _So not her._ He punches Howard in the face until he hears his skull crack. He doesn’t hold back. If he props him up against the steering wheel, it’ll look like an injury sustained in the accident. 

He walks over to the other side of the car. “Help,” the woman cries, fear in her eyes. She’s severely injured, but still conscious. No witnesses. He’ll choke her. Carefully. He can’t break the hyoid, it must look like she succumbed to the injuries. He waits for several long seconds. 

Belatedly, he notices that he’s being watched by a security camera. _Shoot the camera. Get it down from the post. Retrieve the tape. Take the package. Head to the rendezvous point._

Sergeant Barnes. _Who the hell is Sergeant Barnes?_

**Author's Note:**

> I’m assuming that the H.Y.D.R.A. supersoldier serum focused more on physical enhancement, instead of the mental stuff (strategy, leadership, eidetic memory) that Steve has on top of that. Or maybe the serum is why Bucky remembers as much as he does :P


End file.
